"NOOOOOOOO!"

Maya's shriek sent Justin hurtling out of the house. A fire blazed in front of him. The two figures in the front of the car curled over and visible as the flames raged around them. He pelted towards the car, the heat fierce but bearable, and tried to wrench open the front door. The plastic stuck to his hand but did not burn him. The sight inside the car persuaded him it was pointless to go any further.

He caught hold of Maya as she reached his side, pushing her face-first into his chest so that she couldn't see anything. She wriggled against him. "Let me go! We can help them. You walked through flames once, please, Justin..."

"Sweetheart, they're both dead. The explosion must have killed them instantly, and they won't have felt anything."

Gregor, Nell and Lewis joined them, Gregor and Lewis sprinting off to the walls surrounding the property, Justin's twin flying over the top of it as Maya whimpered in his arms. They returned minutes later.

"No sign of anyone," Lewis said. The flames had died down, but Nell insisted no-one approach the car just in case and ordered everyone back inside. In the kitchen, Fraser greeted them wide-eyed. The Argist recruit took his hand, asking if he wanted to watch TV with her in a bedroom upstairs, and he nodded gratefully.

Maya, tear-streaked and still clinging to Justin, told the rest of them about how Jonno had picked her up earlier and a Ford Mondeo followed them part of the way to the house. "It's my fault. If that car hadn't been looking out for me, they wouldn't..."

Nell's clear blue eyes took them all in. "It is not your fault," she said. "We are dealing with ruthless bastards who will stop at nothing to protect the knowledge of what they did becoming known. But we need to regroup, and rethink how we deal with them. With Lisa dead, we no longer have access to those minutes her relative kept and the concrete proof. And you need to get home."

Maya tried to argue with her, but in a half-hearted way. volunteered to take her, along with Justin, Lewis and Gregor, as his son Angus was still at Sharon's house as well. They piled into Jason's old taxi, Maya squeezed in between Justin and Lewis at the back.

His brother had chosen to allow them privacy, as his thoughts didn't appear as Justin talked to Maya in her mind, as her head rested on his shoulder, body warm and heavy against his.

I'm sorry about your dad.

Until three weeks ago, I didn't think I had a dad, and I've seen him—what, three times ever since I found out about him, so it's not as if I've lost someone close to me.

Yeah, but...

I'm fed up with it all, . I got my sister vaccinated and thought all my problems had ended, then I got elected and assumed it would be easy to change the world. Kyle's walked out on me and taken Mirac with him, and...

What?

Maya had shut her eyes. Her breath came in slow, steady snuffles. The day must have exhausted the poor love. Justin hid his thoughts once more, too fearful that despite everything Maya would notice the instinctive glee. No Kyle! No Letitia, nothing to stop him sweeping in and...

It's a lot more complicated than that, mate.

That's my brother for you; he gets off on drama.

Justin scowled. While he might have temporarily locked Maya out of his head, he'd forgotten he was in a car with two other skilled mind readers—the first statement coming from Gregor and the second, Lewis.

Plus, youse all need to finish what Jonno started.

Dammit, that thought came from the front of the car. The taxi driver must be able to mind read too. He was right, though. Jonno's sacrifice must not be for nothing. The chance of finding the record of that long-ago meeting might be tiny, but it wasn't the only evidence.

Who else had James Hamilton said took part in that meeting? A gem of an idea took root. Across Maya's sleeping body, he met Lewis's eye.

AUTHOR'S NOTE - thanks for reading! Next update, Tuesday, 17 August 2021.